1988 Cadillac Brougham Base from North America - Comments

18th Sep 2013, 02:16

I think you just got one in bad shape, that had been sitting a while, or was poorly maintained. I have bought Caprices, Crown Vics, Town Cars of the same era with much more mileage, and did not need to fix anything other than the oil and some bulbs.

Great car though, worth fixing. The smooth ride, interior comfort and luxury are top notch, even by today's standards.

18th Sep 2013, 06:50

Cool car! Love the 80's Brougham's, they're one of the most recognizable Caddy's of all time, and are simply great riding luxury cars.

No modern luxury car interior can match the comfort, and interior spaciousness of the American luxo boats from the 70's-80's. They were like driving on a cloud with seats and materials that were plush and satisfying to be in. Their styling was distinguishable, with high amounts of detail that was amazing to say the least.

Too bad we will never again see cars like this made. This is why it's so important for people not to junk old 70's-80's Caddy's and Lincolns, as they were the epitome of soft luxury, but rather sell them to people that will really invest their time and money into bringing them back to life. So that future generations will know how Americans used to roll in real class and style, at a time when excess was in and we weren't ashamed by it.

19th Sep 2013, 01:03

Sorry to hear you've had to do a bit more work than you'd prefer with this car. 80,000 miles is around the time when items like shocks, hoses, gaskets and such all start wearing out; it happens with any car (unless said car is designed or made badly, then it can happen around more like 10,000 miles...).

If you like the car, and judge it as suitable for the kind of driving you regularly do (I assume you are using it daily), then my advice would be to hold on to it. It may need a few more things replaced, or a few good services to keep it running well, but ultimately these older cars were built to last and give many years of reliable service. Providing, of course, they are taken care of. In the used car market, it's all too easy to sell a car you've put money and effort into and end up replacing it with something just as troublesome and worn out. Speaking from (unfortunate) experience here.

Hope your car behaves and you can keep holding on to it. I know how much I'd love to own a Cadillac like yours, even if it did mean a similar level of work I'd need to do.

19th Sep 2013, 09:41

OP here.

Yes it's a great car, and the rare south top makes it extremely unique. I just wish it didn't have all these problems. Right now, I don't trust it to go long distances, but that could change after a while.

18th Jan 2014, 23:04

10th Oct 2014, 08:05

Just bought one, a real "Barn Find". It's been stored for the past 12 years, just turned 40,000 miles and runs really good. The only problem is that the "check engine light stays on", been that way for years. Any ideas what could be wrong?

14th Oct 2014, 01:34

It could be the carb or its CCC module acting up on you. It could also be the emissions hoses and tubes too, especially on an Olds 307. On these cars, a check engine light can mean many things; more so if it's been sitting for a while.